Lecture+7+ +Brain+and+Emotion

8/13/2019 Lecture+7+ +Brain+and+Emotion

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REMINDER:

PLEASETURNOFFYOURPHONES


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PSYCHOLOGYOFEMOTION:

BRAIN

AND

EMOTION

Wesley G. Moons, Ph.D.

University of California, Davis

Department of Psychology


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BRAINDIRECTIONS


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STUDYINGTHEBRAIN

! Brain lesions! Localized effects of specific areas! Difficult to extend animal studies to humans! Small human samples/correlational data

!Electroencephalography(EEG)! Extremely time-sensitive! Limited to activity near scalp

! Positron Emission Tomography (PET)! Applicable to multiple areas of body! Injection of radioactive substance! Low image resolution

! Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)! Excellent spatial sensitivity! Poor time-sensitivity! Extremely expensive ($60/minute)


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IMPORTANTBRAINSTRUCTURES

! Amygdala! Associated with the perception of something as a threat

! Precursor to the emotion reaction! NOT directly responsible for the emotional reaction

! Necessary for fear conditioning (learning)! Produces emotional memory

! Insular Cortex! Associated with disgust, then fear, then somatosensory processing

! Good example of difficulty in interpreting brain activation! Possibly activating in response to emotion consequences and not emotion

itself

! Prefrontal Cortex! Involved in higher-order cognition (e.g., planning, decision-making)! Various areas in the PFC associated with emotion regulation

! Nucleus Accumbens and Ventral Tegmental Area! Linked to anticipation of reward and reward-seeking! Associated with dopamine release in synapses of these neural regions


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EEGANDEMOTION

!Asymmetrical prefrontal cortex activation! More left hemisphere:

!Approach emotions like happiness/anger! More right hemisphere:

!Avoidance emotions like sadness/disgust

! Persistent asymmetry detected early! Dispositional happiness (or sadness)! Dispositional approach (or avoidance)

! Potentially used for screening?


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MANIPULATINGYOURBRAIN

! Physical activity activates brain! Asymmetrical activity engages one

hemisphere more

! Manipulation! Squeeze ball with:

! Left hand (right hemisphere)! Right hand (left hemisphere)

!Results! Ball squeezing with right hand:

! Happier! More approach oriented

! CAUTION: Use Stress Ball Correctly


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FMRI

! Giant magnet! Detects magnetic fields

! Blood-oxygen-level dependence! BOLD signal

! Blood is slightly magnetic!

Oxygenated different from deoxygenated

! Neuron activity deoxygenates blood! fMRI detects that change


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ISSUESWITHFMRI

! Problems with fMRI research! Inconsistent findings

! Different areas of brain implicated! Same area but different effects

! Single study papers! Little self-replication by scientists

! Correlational! Chicken or the egg problem


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REJECTIONANDPAIN

! Physical pain! e.g., keeping hand in ice water! Activates anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)

! What about social pain! Naomi Eisenberger tested difference

!Participants in fMRI played game! Ostensibly with 2 others somewhere! Game is Cyberball! Rigged to manipulate rejection


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CYBERBALLREJECTIONPAIN

! Study Procedures! Watch others play with each other (baseline)! Play with others cooperatively (inclusion)! Be excluded by other players (rejection)

! Rejection activated ACC! Similarity of physical and social pain


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EMOTIONLABELING

! Putting feelings into words! Does it help dissipate negative affect?! Idea of talk therapy

! Matthew Lieberman! fMRI test of impact of labeling! Focused on amygdala

! Participants in fMRI! Labeled perceived affect OR! Various control activities


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AFFECTLABELINGSTUDYCONDITIONS


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AFFECTLABELINGRESULTS

! Affect label condition! Reduced amygdala activity

! But is this affect reduction?! Viewing affective material only! Amygdala involved in appraisal but maybe not experience


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NEUROTRANSMITTERS

! Serotonin! Linked to depression

! Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI)!

Anti-depressants (e.g., Prozac)! Excess serotonin usually reabsorbed (reuptake)! SSRI hampers re-absorbtion! Leaves more available in synapse for use

! Influenced by drugs like LSD, mescaline, MDMA

! Beta-endorphins! Endorphin is contraction of endogenous morphine

! Self-made morphine! Production and release associated with social rejection/pain


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NEUROTRANSMITTERS

! Dopamine! Linked to reward-seeking

!Activated in response to please (e.g., food, sexual attraction)! Linked to addiction

! E.g., cocaine inhibits reuptake!Applies to gambling, shopping, video games, etc.! Synapses repeatedly flooded with dopamine become

desensitized

! Less reward-seeking when not drugged

! Cholecystokinin! Introduction into system can trigger panic attack

! In complete absence of psychological trigger


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THEEND!

Lecture+7+ +Brain+and+Emotion

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